In the world of fine pastry, where richness and indulgence traditionally reign, Chef Johanna Le Pape is forging a different path—one where wellness, sustainability and artistry coexist without compromise.
A 2014 World Champion of the Mondial des Arts Sucrés, Le Pape has built her career around the idea that desserts can be both nourishing and exquisite. After beginning her journey in the luxury kitchens of Le Meurice and Le Lutetia in Paris, she sought to expand the definition of fine pastry. Her philosophy was clear: balance indulgence with nutrition and environmental responsibility.
“I wanted to bring more meaning to what I was doing,” Le Pape said. “Simply making pastry wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to develop an aspect that was barely mentioned at that time: that of well-being.”
In 2015, she launched JLP Consulting, a global pastry consultancy dedicated to modernizing pastry through sustainability initiatives, product development, and wellness-driven design. Le Pape focuses on ingredient integrity and zero-waste pastry, encouraging chefs and consumers alike to consider the impact of their ingredient choices on both their health and the planet.
“My goal is to get people to reflect on their choice of ingredients and the impact their choices have on our organism and ecosystem,” she said.
Image: Chef Johanna Le Pape/Instagram
An accomplished athlete, Le Pape holds a degree in sports science and education from STAPS Nantes University. Her background as a competitive boxer and regional elite basketball player informs her holistic approach to food, combining physical well-being with culinary expertise. Her passions for music, culinary photography and writing, including her book Pâtisserie Révolution: The Healthy Baking Bible, add further depth to her culinary vision.
Beyond her consultancy work, Le Pape plays an influential role on the International Organizing Committee of the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie. Her mission is to promote a more conscious, sustainable and health-focused approach to the pastry arts within the competition’s prestigious framework.
Image: Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie/Christophe Pouget
“Pastry is an evolving art,” she said. “We have the responsibility to make it as inspiring, sustainable, and nourishing as possible.”
This September, Le Pape will lend her expertise to Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA, serving as a jury member for the 2025 U.S. National Selection in Chicago. The event, taking place on Sept. 6 at the Washburne Culinary and Hospitality Institute during the Chicago Baking & Pastry Forum, marks a pivotal step in the team’s journey toward the 2026 Americas Continental Selection and ultimately the 2027 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, France.
As the pastry world shifts toward a future that values health, sustainability and creativity in equal measure, Chef Johanna Le Pape stands at the forefront—leading by example and inspiring a new generation of chefs to think differently about the desserts they create.